May 4, 2009: The International Olympic Committee's evaluation group, which has concluded its tour of Rio de Janeiro and is readying to evaluate Madrid, said it was impressed with Rio's presentation to become the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, observers are taking the comments in stride as the committee said pretty much the same thing after visiting Chicago and Tokyo, the other two cities bidding for the Games of 2016. "The security and the safety are a top priority. We were surprised with the presentation about the new approach of the Brazilian government with the subject, that has already brought some success," Gilberto Fell, part of the 13-member IOC inspection committee, told reporters in Rio on May 2. Added inspection committee chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel, "We were impressed by the fact that the Games fits perfectly into Brazil's long-term planning development of the country . . . Everything we saw here so far is positive." The IOC team wraps up its four-city tour this week in Madrid. The IOC will vote on the 2016 host city in October. Back to Home Page